HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
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Hail Mary, and Mothers Everywhere
Of all the home cooking I have tried, there is one that trumps all others: that from the kitchen of former President Joseph Estrada.
I am frequently asked where to find the best Filipino food in the country. In the city, I have my list of favorite restaurants: Abe in Serendra is top of mind for their “binukadkad na plapla with buro and mustasa leaves.” Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung in Pampanga is often a recommendation because of both the experience of a 5-Way Lechon and of the beauty of this Pampango artist’s home. For sinigang, there is Sentro’s corned beef sinigang, although my latest love is Mamou’s Kurobuta pork sinigang. The humba at Adarna Restaurant, strong tempered as it is, now also has a place in my heart.
But home cooking is certainly still the best: if you live in the province, you might have a list of lolas (grandmas) who have their specialties. For my family – and you may have your own version of this – it’s Ka Tage’s tinumis, Aling Belen’s fried chicken, Ka Leonor’s sumang yakap.
Of all the home cooking I have tried, though, there is one that trumps all others: the home cooking from the kitchen of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. Yup, Erap!
The former president actually has a reputation as a great host. Rumor has it that the first thing he changed in Malacañang was the kitchen (which he denies).
In Tanay, while he was incarcerated, visitors were treated to incredibly sumptuous Filipino food served on banana leaves. Even the most revered of politicians had to eat with their hands, following his example. But everything was fresh: from the pork right from the backyard to the fish, to the greens. This knack for hosting and attention to detail in food is something he says he got from his mother, Doña Mary Marcelo Ejercito, who passed away in 2008.
Fortunately, Doña Mary left a great legacy of recipes. Truth be told, the best adobo that I have tried in my eight years as a professional food writer is from the kitchen of President Erap. The Ejercito adobo is to die for because it is rich, with very tender pork and very soft chicken, and simply drowning in all the savory goodness of its sauce (and admittedly, the pork fat!). The secret, I believe, is in the use of atay or pork liver, although the former president says the secret is in the procedure. After allowing the ingredients to cook in vinegar, you must fry the meat in another pan until just before it is golden brown and then return the meat to the sauce to simmer again until perfectly savory. The recipe specifies that the adobo must use pork belly or liempo and pork kasim or shoulder.
Another to-die-for Ejercito recipe is their pochero. This is also, hands down, the best pochero in the country. 1521’s Tanke and Abe’s versions only come in second. It’s too bad it’s home cooking and not available for public consumption. This is said to be the favorite as well of Don Emilio Ejercito, the former president’s father. It’s easy to see why. The sauce is neither too thick nor too soupy. The beef is incredibly tender. There is the use of chorizo bilbao, morcilla (blood sausage) and pata jamon, an amalgamation of pork flavors. But most importantly, the eggplant relish that accompanies it offers just the right hint of tangy sour that completes the dish. Jesse Ejercito, President Erap’s brother, shares that it’s a really simple relish of eggplant, garlic and vinegar. Maybe the secret is love, maybe the secret is in the proportions – whatever it is, it is relish to relish!
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| Jesse Ejercito with Dona Mary Ejercito |
In our matriarchal culture, our mothers’ influence on us, in life and especially in the kitchen, is undeniable. Tomorrow, May 2, is the birthday of Doña Mary, who lived to be 103. Next Sunday, May 8, is Mother’s Day.
For my part, I am very proud of my mother Baby Salcedo’s Bangus Belly Kare-Kare. She has perfected the peanut sauce of the dish so that just like the Ejercito pochero, the sauce is neither too thick nor too soupy.
This week, in anticipation of Mother’s Day next Sunday, let’s make a tribute to mothers everywhere by collecting and recreating our mother’s recipes! What’s YOUR mother’s most memorable dish?
Eggplant Relish
1/2 kilo eggplant (stem removed), 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 c vinegar, salt, pepper.
Place eggplant in saucepan. Pour enough water to cover and bring to a boil. When eggplant is cooked, remove from pan and cool. Peel eggplant and discard skin. Mash the eggplant. Mix mashed eggplant with garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar.
Pochero with Eggplant Relish
1/2 kilo beef brisket
1/2 kilo boneless beef shank
1/2 kilo beef short ribs
1/2 kilo slab bacon
1-2 pcs chorizo de bilbao
1-2 pcs morcilla
1-2 pcs pata jamon
1 head cabbage
1 pcs baguio pechay
1/4 kilo baguio beans
2 pcs carrots
3 pcs potatoes
2 pcs sweet potato
1 cup garbanzos
2 pcs saba
2 stalks spring onions
1 stem celery
salt to taste
1 T peppercorn
2 T cooking oil
3 cloves
1-2 pcs onion
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
Place beef cuts, spring onions, celery, peppercorns, water in a pot and cover to bring to a boil. Cook until meat is tender, adding water if necessary (around 3 hours). Season with salt. Add the pata jamon, potatoes, camote, carrots. After around 5 minutes drop in the saba and garbanzos. Simmer until soft. Add the rest of the vegetables. Cover and cook until leafy vegetables turn green. Drain. Set aside.
Heat cooking oil in skillet. Saute garlic, onions, slab bacon, morcilla and chorizo bilbao. Pour tomato sauce and just enough stock to make a thick sauce.
Stir in the meat. Cover and simmer.
When tomato sauce is cooked and some of the liquid in the sauce has been reduced, add the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
Serve with Eggplant Relish.
(Photos and recipte courtesy of Jesse M. Ejercito)
